ABAC Poll on popular/unpopular political figures

According to ABAC Poll, many people in Bangkok supported the government’s decision to appoint Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak as the chairman of a committee responsible for creating a better understanding of sufficiency economy.

The survey was conducted on February 15th and 16th in Bangkok and nearby provinces. 1,500 people over 18 years old took the survey.

According to popular vote, 46.6 percent of the respondents praised the performance of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, followed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with 21.3 percent, Council for National Security (CNS) chairman Sonthi Boonyaratglin with 14.6 percent, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva with 13.9 percent, and Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak with 10.2 percent.

In contrast, 61.7 percent were disappointed with Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin, followed by Mr. Abhisit with 9.9 percent, Gen. Sonthi with 6.5 percent, Gen. Surayud with 5.9 percent, and Democrat Party secretary general Suthep Thuagsuban with 5.3 percent.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 Febuary 2007

ABAC Poll on popular/unpopular political figures

According to ABAC Poll, many people in Bangkok supported the government’s decision to appoint Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak as the chairman of a committee responsible for creating a better understanding of sufficiency economy.

The survey was conducted on February 15th and 16th in Bangkok and nearby provinces. 1,500 people over 18 years old took the survey.

According to popular vote, 46.6 percent of the respondents praised the performance of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, followed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with 21.3 percent, Council for National Security (CNS) chairman Sonthi Boonyaratglin with 14.6 percent, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva with 13.9 percent, and Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak with 10.2 percent.

In contrast, 61.7 percent were disappointed with Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin, followed by Mr. Abhisit with 9.9 percent, Gen. Sonthi with 6.5 percent, Gen. Surayud with 5.9 percent, and Democrat Party secretary general Suthep Thuagsuban with 5.3 percent.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 Febuary 2007

It would be interesting if they surveyed the country as a whole and tried to get a proper socio-economic and age mix within this althougth it would probably be hard and expensive to set up. I am quite sure the results would be a tad different although I wouldnt personally want to guess them.

I personally wonder if a completely random mobile phone poll with a large sample size would give better results overall now that even so many poor people as well as rich have cell phones.

The numbers in this poll may represent the views of people you would want to interview on the streets of Bangkok and nearby towns although I find no mention of Apirak a tad surprising in any poll based mostly on Bangkok. That the percentage on the popular vote adds up to 106.6 without including others, no comment etc also raises a few questions.

I would agree a bigger base is better if you could knowingly exclude people who sold their vote. Thaksin would love nothing more than putting sheep mentality to work for him again. By seeing an abnormally high positive for Thaksin, it could make people rethink and doubt their own judgment.

I'm very surprised that Toxin, while in exile, got PRAISED by 21% of the respondents in A POLL CARRIED OUT IN BANGKOK and surounding provinces...while a military dictatorship which will not allow any actions by Toxin's political party acts to intimidate any Toxin support....seems like his popularity has not really faded much....maybe its a case of "absence makes the heart grow fonder"...or maybe its a case of "who are these idiot generals who are screwing up the country? even Toxin was doing better than them!!!".

I would like to see a poll on what people think about the people who conduct polls. I wonder what they would say about ABAC polling.

Mr. Thaksin is likely to gain in popularity. The longer he is gone the more people are likely to remember the good things rather than the bad things. Also, since the gov't really isn't catching up with much of his "bad" deeds, it doesn't increase their popularity.

Right now, he's the underdog and a lot of people like the underdog. The gov't needs to use the G.W. Bush strategy used to villify Saddam Hussein. They need to have a huge PR thing in which everyone is daily bombarded with his misdeeds--they don't even have to be factual. Then they will get it.

I, of course, don't recommend that they do that, but what they are currently doing isn't making the gov't look any better.